


To Bloom With You

by flower_girl



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Jongin is a precious bub, Kyungsoo is a determined bub, M/M, Secret Admirer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 20:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17946473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flower_girl/pseuds/flower_girl
Summary: When life gives you flowers, you find out who sent them.





	To Bloom With You

**Author's Note:**

> This was my entry for the Cherry Zine (@CHERRY_8812 on twitter)! It was an amazing experience to work with so many talented creators and I do hope you guys check out their account and see the other wonderful things that people have been working on <3

 

“Hello, welcome to Blooming Days,” Jongin mumbles as he hears the familiar chime above the door. He’s rearranging the small bunches of wildflower bouquets they have displayed in front of the register. Rahee likes to pick them from the backyard and his mother encourages her creativity by letting her arrange them. They sell them for two dollars, simple pocket change for the five year old to splurge on candy and slime.

“You the florist?” A gruff voice asks. Jongin looks up and resists an eye roll. The man is dressed in an impeccable, three-piece suit, his gold watch flashing in the sunlight and his buffed, leather shoes an odd contrast against the rustic hardwood flooring of the shop. Jongin just already knows what this man wants and how rude he’s going to be about it.

“One of them, yes,” he answers, slipping back around the counter and grabbing a notepad and pen. There are little corgi drawings prancing across the top of the notepad and his pen is topped with a corgi butt that shakes when you write. It was a gift from his friend, Baekhyun. Jongin keeps it around because he thinks it adds character to their shop.

“I need flowers,” the man says, taking a step to the counter.

“Do you have an idea of what types of flowers you would like?” Jongin asks. “What’s the occasion?”

“I’m sending them to this guy,” the man says, pulling his wallet out of his pocket and producing a crisp picture. He throws it on the counter and it lands carelessly, sliding towards Jongin.

“My mom wants me to court him, marry him actually, says it’ll be good for the family business. Someone suggested I send him flowers so here I am.”

“Does he perhaps have a favorite flower?” Jongin asks, tapping his pen against the notepad.

“No idea,” the man says.

“Do you maybe know his favorite color?” Jongin asks instead, holding back a sigh.

“How am I supposed to know that?” The man replies, looking appalled. Jongin really wants to roll his eyes now but he takes a deep breath instead. He’s about to offer to show the man some of their displays when there’s an obnoxious ringing filling the air and the man excuses himself to pick up a call. Jongin goes back the fiddling with Rahee’s arrangements and straightening out the metal charms they have sitting next to the register.

“I have to go,” the man says, slipping his phone back in his pocket. “Just send him whatever shit you have and write a letter with it too. I’ll pay extra for that if I have to. Make it some gushy, romantic stuff. People like that, right? My secretary will drop by later with my card.” Before Jongin can even open his mouth to respond, the man is out the doors, the bell chiming again and Jongin finally humphs as he leans against the back counter.

“Our flowers aren’t ‘shit’,” he sneers, making a face in the direction the man disappeared. He looks down and sees that the man had left the picture and he picks it up. It’s of another man, a blurry beach in the background. The man isn’t looking at the camera, round eyes focused on something to the right, but his short, black hair is tussled by the wind and his plump, pink lips are quirked into the tiniest, mischievous smile. He’s wearing a white denim button up, the first button undone to show slightly tanned skin. Jongin stares at the photo for a little bit longer before he tears off a sheet from the corgi notepad and paperclips them together. On the top he writes _Flower Order for Unfortunate Soul_.

 

The rest of the day goes by pretty slowly. It’s a Wednesday in late winter. No one is really looking for flowers yet so Jongin is working alone today. Both of his sisters will man the shop tomorrow and then Friday, his mom will take care of the closing shift. They’re only opened for very limited hours on weekends, three hours in the late morning for pickups and to sell leftover arrangements from the week.

Jongin is getting ready to lock the register when the chime above the door signals one last guest for the night. He hears the click clack of heels before he sees an overly pinched nose and blood red lips.

“Welcome to Blooming Days, how can I help you?” Jongin asks.

“My boss was in here earlier and told me to come settle the payment and details,” she says, crossing her arms and looking at her long, jewel studded nails. Oh yeah, the suit jerk from earlier. Jongin had managed to forget about him while he was helping a father and his two young kids pick an arrangement for their mother.

“We do take card,” Jongin says. “I can put it on express pay if you’d like.”

“Deliver something twice a week,” she says, sticking the card out at Jongin. He takes a look at the name on the card and makes a quick profile for Mr. Kwon Mooyoung and attaches the payment code to it.

“Make them as lavish as you can. Money is not an issue for Mr. Kwon,” she continues, “and he said not to forget the letters.”

“We charge an extra $15 for printed letters,” he tells her. It’s actually only $5 but if Jongin is going to have to write them himself, he might as well make bank off of it.

“Like I said, not an issue,” she tells him. “Deliver them to this address.” She hands him a business card to a Doh Kyungsoo.

“Delivery is a $25 charge,” Jongin says.

“That’s fine,” she tosses her hair over her shoulder. “He wants the first one sent out in two days. I’ll notify you when the deliveries are to be stopped.”

“So lavish arrangements, printed letters, and delivery service all on the express pay, twice a week?” Jongin jots things down on the sheet he ripped out earlier.

“We trust that there will be no issues,” she tells him.

“We can get it done,” Jongin confirms.

“Good,” she huffs. “I’ll let you close now.” Jongin hands her back the credit card and walks her to the front, wishing her a good night and locking the door.

 

 

 

“Another one?” Baekhyun asks as he tosses a pile of Manila folders onto Kyungsoo’s desk, right next to the ceramic white vase filled with bold, pink roses and white stephanotis. “That’s the fifth one this month already.”

“They come in every Tuesday and Friday,” Kyungsoo says, thumbing one of the soft petals. He’s noticed the pattern now that this has been happening for a few weeks.

“Where’s the letter?” Baekhyun asks, scooting around Kyungsoo’s desk for the baby pink envelope they’ve become so used to. He finds it still tucked in between a few roses and plucks it out with vigor, unsealing the little heart sticker that keeps it together.

“ _Pink is the blush of my skin when my eyes meet the milky sight of yours. It’s Tuesday again, one of the hardest days of the week. Keep your chin up, my little petal. Let’s meet each other soon. Your dearest, Mooyoung,”_ Baekhyun reads it out loud with an audible gag at the end. “He’s something else, thinking that flowers and love letters are going to win your heart and your _fortune_ like that.”

“It’s not him,” Kyungsoo says, stealing the letter from Baekhyun. “It’s not even his handwriting and trust me, that idiot would never blush at anything accept his alcohol because he’s a lightweight.”

“Well who is writing them then?” Baekhyun asks.

“He probably hired someone,” Kyungsoo scoffs. “You think a jerk like him would take the time to write letters to me?”

“Are you gonna call him out on it?” Baekhyun grins. Baekhyun loves a good public exposé, especially if it’s idiots like Mooyoung who are getting dragged.

“No,” Kyungsoo says, picking one rose out of the perfect bouquet and inhaling its scent. “I quite like flowers and the displays have been amazing so far. Let’s see how far he’ll go until he realizes I won’t be giving into him no matter how many roses he sends me.”

 

 

 

Jongin is sitting on his bed, back against the wall as he drums his pen against the pad of white paper, thinking about what to write next. It’s been five months since they’ve started this. That’s forty bouquets and forty love letters to a person that he doesn’t even know well. He doesn’t even know when he’s become so invested in this. He could simply write some cheesy quote that would take him ten seconds to google but lately the letters have been getting longer and more personal.

He groans and flops back onto his bed, the tiny frame creaking under his body. He sets the pen and pad down on his chest and closes his eyes. The bouquet for tomorrow is all ready; pale pink spray roses, pink wax flowers, and million star baby’s breath arranged in a nosegay and wrapped in pink cellophane with a bow. It’s one of Jongin’s favorite arrangements and he needs a letter just as beautiful to go with it. He grabs the picture off his side table and stares at it. The edges are worn down and the color is beginning to fade. This is the only thing he has of this Kyungsoo person to go off of. He’s looked at it so many times and for so many nights to get inspiration to write the letters for Mooyoung. Kyungsoo is beautiful. Writing about how pretty he is isn’t hard for Jongin, but he needs to know more. He wants to know more.

 

 

 

It’s that Saturday evening when everything changes. Like always, Jongin closes the shop early after the last scheduled pick up has occurred. He makes sure the ask box outside the door with the business cards and the inquiry forms are filled up so stragglers can make requests after hours.

However, his sister calls him and tells him that he’s babysitting Rahee tonight so he unlocks the door for his niece and they spend a few hours together. She works on her little wild flower bouquets while Jongin finishes some of the arrangements for Sunday morning’s delivery and pickup. He microwaves macaroni and cheese for her snack and then puts on cartoons for her while he sweeps the place and dusts some of the shelves. They don’t have many shipments for tomorrow morning so he’ll get to sleep in just a little later than usual.

Then Monday is his complete day off, but not really because he can still hear his mom and sister opening up shop downstairs and the bell dings whenever there’s a new customer. He appreciates not having to deal with people though.

He gives Rahee back to his sister with a kiss and promises to save her wildflower money for the next time she comes over and take her to stationary store. He watches as they drive away safely before closing the door and walking to straighten up the counter before he retires to his bed for the night. As he’s stuffing a few new pens into their mug near the register, he hears the familiar chime of the bells above the door and he whips his head up.

“We’re closed,” he announces but then he freezes when the person unwraps the scarf from his face. It’s Kyungsoo. Jongin has spent the past few weeks staring at that face every night. He would know it by heart. But he’s not supposed to know it.

“Is this Blooming Days?” Kyungsoo asks, his voice is velvety smooth and Jongin wants to drown in it.

“It is,” he answers carefully, stepping from behind the counter. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I’m here for dinner,” Kyungsoo answers cheerfully, holding up a takeout bag for Luciano’s. Wait...why was Kyungsoo holding a bag from Luciano’s? The male seems to sense Jongin’s confusion and he smiles knowingly.

“You told me that we should eat at Luciano’s this weekend because you were craving Italian food,” Kyungsoo says, setting the bag down on the counter. Jongin pales at that. ‘Mooyoung’ was the one who had written that, not ‘Jongin’.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammers, ignoring the mouthwatering scent of shrimp alfredo and garlic breadsticks steaming from the paper bag. Last night he just wrote what came to his mind and he suggested an Italian restaurant for Mooyoung and Kyungsoo to go try out. He wasn’t expecting _this_ , for Kyungsoo to come and find _him_.

“You’re the one writing me love letters,” Kyungsoo grins, taking a step closer towards Jongin. “You said you wanted to get dinner together so here we are. I wanted to have dinner with you too.”

“Those are from Director Kwon,” Jongin clarifies, taking a step back but finding himself blocked by the counter.

“Mooyoung is an idiot,” Kyungsoo scoffs. “He probably doesn’t even know how to dot his i’s and cross his t’s. I never for a moment believed those letters were from him.”

“Why would you think they’re from me then?” Jongin asks.

“Because you looked at me,” Kyungsoo smiles softly, “like you already knew me.” Jongin’s insides crumble at that. Why is Kyungsoo so much cuter in real life? Why does Jongin’s face feel hot? He’s sure he’s turned the heat down for the night already.

“Now let’s eat,” Kyungsoo giggles, pushing Jongin’s chest lightly. “I think we have a lot to talk about.”

Jongin clears one of their round glass tables almost empty of arrangements and grabs paper plates from the staff break room, setting them down. Kyungsoo is wandering the store, carefully looking at the flowers they have on display and stroking the soft petals. Jongin keeps on stealing glances at him from the corner of his eye. The boy in the picture is now the boy in his shop.

 

“Do you guys grow them?” Kyungsoo asks, appearing by his side. Jongin stiffens but then continues to open up the take out containers, the thick aroma of herbs and spices filling the air.

“Most of them,” Jongin says, “We have a greenhouse out in the back and my mom has a few more greenhouses in her backyard. We import a few flowers too but for the most part, everything is homegrown.”

“That’s so cool,” Kyungsoo gushes, the apples of his cheeks round and his eyes beaming. “And you do all the arrangements?”

“Me and my sisters and mom,” Jongin tells him.

“They’re so beautiful,” Kyungsoo says, moving closer to Jongin so their shoulders are touching. “I love looking at them. They really brighten up my desk.” Jongin doesn’t know what to say so he pulls out a chair for Kyungsoo instead.

It’s quiet as they first eat, Jongin twirling his fettuccine with his fork before pushing it into his mouth. The creamy and thick sauce feels like heaven on his tongue and then he pierces a plump shrimp. Kyungsoo is dipping his breadstick into the alfredo sauce before he takes a bite out of the fluffy carb.

“This is so good,” the smaller male moans, closing his eyes. “I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this restaurant before.”

“It’s one of my favorites,” Jongin comments.

“It’s mine now too,” Kyungsoo giggles, opening his eyes and looking at Jongin. “Thank you for telling me about it.”

“It was supposed to be from Mooyoung,” Jongin mumbles, looking back down at his plate and moving the sauce around with his fork.

“But it’s not,” Kyungsoo says softly. “Those letters were all from you and I don’t even know your name.”

“Jongin,” he answers. “Kim Jongin.”

“Well, Kim Jongin,” Kyungsoo says, setting his fork down and straightening his back with a purpose, “We know practically nothing about each other, but I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.”

 

 

 

It’s overwhelming for Jongin at first, Kyungsoo popping into the shop every day and just sitting around, staring at Jongin while he works. He supposes it’s payback for him staring at Kyungsoo’s picture for hours but still, it’s a little weird. Kyungsoo thinks he’s in love with Jongin. Jongin thinks that’s bullshit. The letters were all fake and Kyungsoo knew that. But yet, here he is, sitting on the front counter with his legs swinging as Jongin processes orders that are due in two days.

“Aren’t you bored?” Jongin asks as Kyungsoo stares around the shop. He doesn’t have the heart to kick the other boy out. It’s not like he’s doing anything disruptive or wrong either.

“No,” Kyungsoo grins. “I’m with you.” Jongin blushes at that again, sure that his cheeks are as red as cherries. Kyungsoo needs to stop that.

“But we aren’t even doing anything,” Jongin says.

“I’m learning about you,” Kyungsoo tells him. “You’re so interesting.” Jongin glances at him. Personally he thinks he’s as boring as a brick. He does nothing much but scribble things on a paper pad and then water the flowers and put them in and out of vases until they look pretty.

“How so?” Jongin asks, setting his clipboard down and leaning against the back counter.

“You’re messy,” Kyungsoo giggles, “but you know exactly where everything is.” Jongin has to admit that’s true. His sisters complain all the time that he doesn’t label things and just leaves random arrangements on tables but he knows exactly why that vase is there and what needs to go into it.

“And you pout so much,” Kyungsoo says, leaning forward. “I want to kiss it away!”

Jongin chokes on his spit at that and Kyungsoo laughs.

“You also care a lot about the flowers,” Kyungsoo smiles softly. “You treat them like they’re humans.”

“I treat them better than humans,” Jongin chuckles.

“But I know you would treat me even better,” Kyungsoo says slyly with a glint in his eyes.

“I don’t know what you want,” Jongin says honestly.

“To love you,” Kyungsoo answers simply. “You don’t even have to love me back, just let me love you.”

“But why?” Jongin asks. “You know nothing about me.”

“Do I need a reason to love you?” Kyungsoo replies. “I just do.” Jongin’s lips pull into a thin line at that.

“It was your words,” Kyungsoo answers, looking down. It’s his turn to blush now. “I knew they weren’t real but I could still tell you put a lot of thought and time into them. It would have been easy for you to half ass it but you tried really hard to make it seem like a sincere love letter. You made me feel like I really had an admirer. You made me feel special. It made me wonder how good you would treat me if you actually knew me.”

“I did try,” Jongin tells him. “I figured that whoever had to deal with Mooyoung deserved at least something nice for a while.”

“He’s an idiot,” Kyungsoo scoffs. “I don’t like him at all.”

“I’m sorry I conspired with him,” Jongin says.

“Please don’t be,” Kyungsoo slips off the counter and steps close to Jongin. “I would have never met you then.”

“This feels like a betrayal,” Jongin says quietly.

“Well call me a traitor then,” Kyungsoo whispers, before standing on his toes and pressing a soft kiss against Jongin’s warms lips. Jongin wraps an arm around his slim waist and pulls him close, kissing him back, their lips locking perfectly around each other as their noses brush lightly. When they pull away, Kyungsoo’s eyes look so hopeful and Jongin’s heart is swelling in his chest.

“I want to be a traitor too,” he smiles at the smaller male. Kyungsoo giggles and hooks his arms around Jongin’s neck for another kiss.

 

 

 

Jongin stops charging Mooyoung’s account for the flower arrangements because he doesn’t send them out anymore. Instead he gives Kyungsoo flowers himself with little love notes signed with his own name. Sometimes Kyungsoo picks out his own arrangements and likes to fake his surprise when Jongin hands them to him. He thinks it’s the funniest thing and always overreacts and pulls Jongin in for deep kisses. Jongin really likes kissing Kyungsoo, especially because his lips are as soft and pink as the rose petals that Kyungsoo likes so much.

They learn more about each other late at night when Kyungsoo stops by after work, cuddled together in Jongin’s bed on top of the shop. Kyungsoo is so touchy and Jongin finds every single inch of his body pressed against the smaller male. Kyungsoo likes to laugh and he thinks that Jongin’s dry and blunt humor is hilarious, always burying his head into Jongin’s neck to conceal his face as his body shakes with giggles. All Jongin can do is smile and pull the male closer to him. They spend hours talking to each other, Kyungsoo whining about all the annoying things at his office job and Jongin listening and pitching in his own thoughts. They learn about each other’s lives and families and Jongin really begins to think he can build one with Kyungsoo.

His mom and Rahee accidently meet Kyungsoo on a Sunday morning when he comes down from Jongin’s top level, yawning and stretching with his shirt riding up. Rahee yells “Intruder!” and attempts to push Kyungsoo out of the shop but Jongin comes swooping down the stairs to pull Kyungsoo back with two arms wrapped around his waist. His mom gives them a knowing look and they both turn cherry red. They spend the next hour sitting at Jongin’s tiny kitchen table with tea and toasted bread, Rahee coloring in one of Jongin’s old notebooks with a dry yellow highlighter. He doesn’t know how to explain to his mom that he was Kyungsoo’s fake admirer and now they’re dating but somehow it all manages to come out and his mother is absolutely beaming by the end of the story. She invites Kyungsoo over for dinner that night and everyone in Jongin’s family falls in love with him, but of course not as much as Jongin does.

Mooyoung never says anything about how the flower charges have stopped and about a year later, they’ve pretty much forgotten about the guy, too busy enjoying their own lives together. Kyungsoo has moved into Jongin’s little shop now, exchanging the full sized bed for a queen but everything else is still the same, charming and cozy.

They hang up a hammock in the greenhouse in the back and spend a lot of time swaying in the muted warmth of the glass house. Kyungsoo is tucked into Jongin’s side; their legs tangled together as Jongin reads out loud whatever latest science fiction novel he’s into. Kyungsoo himself is more of a romance novel enthusiast but he loves the rumble of Jongin’s voice low in his chest so he doesn’t mind listening about alien apocalypses every once in a while.

His office job is stressful but all that tension melts away when he walks into the doors of the shop, that little bell chiming and Jongin looking up, a flower tucked behind his ear and the most gorgeous smile in the world on his face. Kyungsoo always drops his briefcase and runs into Jongin’s arms, cupping his face for a passionate kiss and clinging onto Jongin like a little baby koala. He wouldn’t give up Jongin and his flowers for anything in the world. From the way that Jongin squeezes him back too and gently kisses the soft space above his nose and in between his eyes, he knows that Jongin will never give him up either. They’ll bloom together until the very end.

 

 


End file.
